Stepping into the bustling Indian market in late 2023, global smart home cleaning appliance brand Dreame Technology is quickly making its presence felt. Founded in 2017 by Yu Hao, a young engineer with seed funding he received in college, Dreame positions itself as a “geek R&D organisation” at its core. This focus on innovation is evident in their key expertise areas: fast digital motors that drive speeds beyond 200,000 RPM, smart algorithms driven by a robotic company ethos, and deep knowledge in fluid mechanics crucial for their vacuum and cleaning products. The design is also a critical differentiator, especially as these products become lifestyle commodities.
Manu Sharma, Managing Director of Dreame India, who joined in July last year, explains Dreame’s clear charter: “to build a brand in India and build trust and credibility.”
Starting with a “digital first” strategy, Dreame launched sales primarily through Amazon and announced a partnership with Flipkart around the festive season last year. The next step is to expand into offline retail by partnering with top chains and creating “beautiful demo zones” where customers can experience the products firsthand.
“We started our operations with three core product lines: RoboVacs, stick vacuums (dry, and wet and dry), and grooming products,” Sharma shares. Today, the portfolio is already substantial, with about eight models of robot vacuums, six models of cordless stick vacuums, and five products in the grooming segment. The wet and dry vacuum segment, in particular, is seen as a “very interesting market for India.”
While Dreame sells across India via Amazon, Sharma notes that demand is heavily “skewed” towards the top 20 cities, driven by urbanisation, nuclear families, and working couples seeking solutions for daily inconveniences. South India stands out as the biggest market, accounting for nearly 45% of the robot vacuums category in India, driven by higher literacy rates and the difficulty of finding reliable domestic help.
The vacuum cleaner market is still in its infancy in India. Last year, only around 150,000 RoboVac units were sold across all brands combined. However, Sharma is optimistic: “We expect this number to almost double to 250,000–300,000 units this year.”
The market penetration for robotic vacuum cleaners remains less than 1%, indicating a “huge opportunity” to educate and grow the segment. With products starting from ₹15,000 and going up to ₹1 lakh, Dreame wants to touch upon different user segments including both entry-level and premium customers.
“There’s a growing realisation that these products are not just a luxury but a smart investment to reclaim time,” Sharma explains. “As urbanisation accelerates, so will the need for products that make daily life easier.”
Dreame’s L10 Prime, with its dedicated and larger mopping facility, has already become one of the company’s bestselling robot vacuums. Sharma adds, “In India, without mopping, the house is not clean,” emphasising how Dreame adapts to unique Indian household habits.
Dreame’s technological edge is perhaps its biggest differentiator. Their top-of-the-line models incorporate AI object recognition that can identify up to 200 different objects like cables, shoes, and pets with 99% accuracy, ensuring smart, safe cleaning.
The AI also enables stain recognition, adjusting cleaning methods based on the type of stain. Dried stains trigger deeper scrubbing with more water, while wet spills are handled with high-absorbent mops. In addition, pet recognition ensures the vacuums are pet-friendly, with some models like the X50 Ultra featuring cameras that even capture adorable moments of pets during cleaning.
Beyond recognition, Dreame’s robots are equipped with features like multi-level climbing, auto-lowering for tight spaces under furniture, and enhanced night-time operation with built-in lights and cameras, making them suitable for India’s increasingly complex urban homes.
“AI doesn’t just clean, it understands what it’s cleaning,” says Sharma.
Sharma is candid about the challenges: “Building after-sales service infrastructure for such complex machines in India is tough, especially compared to the smartphone industry where an ecosystem already exists.”
Currently, Dreame offers a mix of home service and pick-up/drop-off services in 165 cities, with plans to expand to 200 cities soon. As for manufacturing, Dreame, like other players in the space, currently imports its products fully assembled from China. Sharma is pragmatic:
“Right now, no company manufactures these products in India. But as volumes grow, it makes sense to start manufacturing closer to home.”
He further notes, “Even in smartphones, 85% of components come from China today, it’s the reality of the electronics ecosystem.”
In a strategic move to scale consumer awareness rapidly, Dreame has announced Bollywood actor Kriti Sanon as its first brand ambassador in India. “She’s elegant, ambitious, tech-savvy, and comes with an engineering background and it’s a perfect match,” Sharma elaborates on why the brand chose the actor as its face in India.
A “complete 360-degree campaign” is being rolled out covering digital marketing, e-commerce channels, TV commercials, and print media. Through Kriti’s mass appeal and modern persona, Dreame aims to educate consumers on the full potential of today’s AI-powered RoboVacs, making smart cleaning aspirational yet accessible.
“We want to create moments for consumers — instances where they realise how indispensable a Dreame appliance can be,” he adds.
Dreame’s early numbers in India are nothing short of impressive. From a market share of just 5% in July 2023, they have grown to almost 25% within six to seven months.
Sharma claims boldly: “We are confident we will be number one by the end of this year.”
Their Average Selling Price (ASP) is also higher than the market average, a sign that Indian consumers are willing to invest in premium innovation. Flagship models like the X40 Ultra are leading ASP sales across the category.
Dreame has big plans in India. It plans to launch seven new models in India this year, with one highly anticipated model set to enter soon. As Sharma summarises it:
“We are a nerdy, geeky tech company that builds world-class products combined with price sensitivity. Our goal is simple, to let Indian consumers live their dream life, while we take care of the mundane.”
With operations in over 120 countries already, India is now seen as a key strategic market for Dreame’s global expansion plans and the brand’s early momentum suggests this is only the beginning.
“We are committed to India, and we are just getting started,” Sharma signs off with a smile.
